Ron: Why I am so angry at Mayor Murray and Seattle

Five men have alleged that Ed Murray abused them when they were minors. Four here: Delvonn Heckard, Lloyd Anderson, Jeff Simpson, and Maurice Levon Jones. (KIRO 7)

Only once in my entire radio career have I talked about how I was molested by a man in my neighborhood. I rarely bring it up. It makes me very uncomfortable to discuss that I am a victim of sexual assault and molestation.

I was a kid, younger than 10 years old, so I am not ashamed. But this is why I get so angry when I talk about Mayor Ed Murray and all the allegations of sexual abuse around him. And it makes me even angrier when I see how Seattle has dealt with these allegations as he has continued to be mayor.

He opted to write a little line in his resignation letter that, in part, read: “While the allegations against me are not true … I’m proud of all that I have accomplished over my 19 years in the Legislature … And I’m proud of what we have accomplished together at the City during my time as mayor…”

He continues: “To the people of this special city and to my dedicated staff, I am sorry for this painful situation.”

Shame on you. Take responsibility. There is a wake of destroyed lives in your past. Why you get 24 hours to clean out your desk is beyond me.

In my case, the guy got caught and ended up going to jail. I was very young at the time and I wasn’t the only kid in the neighborhood he victimized. It took a long time for me to process all that. I think I can speak on behalf of most, if not many, people who have been abused in their life. The thing that I have wanted is for my abuser to take responsibility for his actions. Murray hasn’t.

In the meantime, these guys’ names deserved to be heard. So on behalf of Delvonn Heckard — who was troubled in part because he says you traumatized him as a young man — on behalf of Jeff Simpson, Lloyd Anderson, Maurice Levon Jones, and Joseph Dyer and all the other kids who are probably out there and haven’t come forward, take responsibility for your alleged actions. Quit being a coward. Quit writing these statements. And quit denying it.

Don’t go get that lawyer you used when you had your genitals examined to skirt around this the last time. This is not a right wing conspiracy because you are a gay man. This is not a shadowy group that’s behind the scenes pulling strings, making up allegations.

Nobody believes you anymore, Ed. You need to take responsibility for the things you have done in your life. Once you get caught, be a man, have a backbone, stand up and take responsibility.

What the city has done is also not enough.

Where is the police guild? The guild released a statement Tuesday. But how about one sentence mentioning the alleged victims?

Hey city council, where are you? We are supposed to be this progressive city that gets $15 minimum wage, and family leave, and a program to protect domestic workers. But how about a statement to support kids? This latest kid was 13 when he was allegedly molested for a year. That’s rape in my book.

Is anyone in a position of power going to stand up around here and believe the victims and support them? Or are we all going to protect our political backsides? And all the deals that we’ve done behind doors, and all the campaign money that flows through this labor union and that labor union? Or, how you are going to protect your seat? Or how you can siphon off all of Murray’s previous support and money into your camp?